“Your wife has left you as a result of this.

“You have voluntarily sought help.

“I’ve seen character statements speaking very highly of you.”

“The effect of this is not simply your watching them but the images are created because people like you are watching them. So children are abused because of that.”

Judge Batiste said a prison sentence must be imposed but that it could be suspended on this occasion.

He told Cooper: “Given your good character, your remorse and the efforts you are making and the considerable impact this has already had on you and the work that can be done with you, in my view the public can be best served by the imposition of a suspended sentence.”

The court heard police were alerted to Cooper’s activities by his use of a website.

When they examined his computer and phone they found 455 of the most serious type of images – category A – 335 category B and 2,549 category C

He was sentenced to eight months suspended for 12 months with 100 hours unpaid work and rehabilitation. He must also sign the sex offenders register for five years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.